Attendance Notifications via Text Message with Talking Points

After piloting with several schools in the 2025-2026 school year (Interlake, Odle, Tillicum, Lake Hills), the Bellevue School District will now be sending out automated daily absence notifications via text message to all schools, using Talking Points.

What is Changing? 

• Instead of receiving a generic phone call through School Messenger, parents/guardians will receive a customized text message in the morning (pilot schools only) and another customized text at the end of the day (all schools) via Talking Points notifying them of their child’s absence(s) that day. 
• The texts are sent automatically. The morning text (pilot schools only) will be sent out 1-1 ½ hours after the start of the school day, and the evening message will be sent at 5:00 p.m. 
• Parents/guardians can and are encouraged to respond to the text and to use text rather than email or phone call. 

Timeline 

• September 2 - Parents will receive their first introductory/welcome text message 
• September 8 - Parents will receive a reminder text 
• September 14 - Automatic attendance text message notifications begin
   

Only families who have not reported their child’s absence will receive the text messages. Sharing the reason for your student’s absence helps us better support your child during and after the absence. Each Talking Points text thread is individual, private, and secure. It is protected by Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws and is only visible to our Attendance Specialists and Administrators (just like email).

Pilot Group Only – Interlake, Odle, Tillicum, Lake Hills  

This year, we will be piloting sending an additional message in the morning, approximately 1-1 ½ hours after the start of the school day. This will help improve our communication and attendance in several ways: 

1. Notifying parents/guardians who may not know their child did not yet attend school, so they can try and get their child to school late. 
2. Reminding parents/guardians who have not yet reported their child’s absence to please do so. 
3. Reminding parents/guardians that going to school late and attending part of the day is better than a full-day absence. 

Every Day Matters 

Remember, every day matters! Just one absence every two weeks is considered chronically absent (even if it’s excused). Please schedule appointments and personal travel on non-school days and only keep your child home if they are actually Too Sick for School. Lastly, please minimize full-day absences when possible. As the saying goes, “better late than never!”

For more information on BSD's attendance policy and procedure, see Policy 3122 and Procedure 3122P, Excused and Unexcused Absences.

Thank you for helping your child succeed by making sure they have minimal absences.